16+ dry dog food brands are commonly available in an average Indian Pet Shop, with a range of over 48+ products in variety of sizes and price-ranges.

With an overwhelming array of options, all claiming to be the best dog food on the market, dog dry food pellets looking alike, and misguiding labels - it has become difficult for pet parents to find the healthiest pet food option for their pets within their budget.

Through this visual guide, we explore what makes one pet food healthier over another and navigate through the confusion and catch phrases of the labels to aid dog parents make informed choices.

As per Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO’s) guidelines for pet foods, a complete and balanced diet includes:

Out of these constituents, the key factor that sets up apart different brands on the scale of health is the Quantity and Quality of Protein used.

AAFCO has laid out their guidelines to ​​chart out a dog’s daily nutrient requirements which defines the following range for Protein Concentration:

To see how products of different brand compare in terms of Protein Quantity i.e Protein %age:

For Example, Arden Grange has 3 products with 25% protein & 1 product with 30% protein.

On top of the quantity of protein, the quality of protein sources used are equally important.

Animal Proteins have the highest amounts of amino acids, essential to create energy for dogs and sustain life.

Plant Proteins tend to have a lower digestibility since dogs cannot digest plant fiber as easily as other sources.
Hence, dog foods which have higher concentration of Animal Proteins are generally healthier for pets.

To evaluate quality, we compare brands which are Plant Protein Leading vs Animal Protein Leading

Space

Another factor that sets apart different brands on the scale of health is the Quality of Ingredients used.

To compare the quality of ingredients used, each product of the brands have been ranked as per a Quality Index calculated based on 4 factors:

AAFCO Nutritional Requirements Compliance

All brands meet AAFCO’s minimum nutritional requirements, safety regulations and standards

Protein Quality: Using Fresh Ingredients or By-Products

Several brands like Royal Canin, Purina, Fidele etc. have adequate amount of protein but use By-Products instead of Fresh Ingredients.

Presence of Allergens including Wheat, Corn, Maize, Dairy etc.

Several brands like Purepet, Pedigree, Royal Canin, Drools etc. contain potential allergens for pets including Wheat, Corn, Maize, Dairy etc.

Presence of Preservatives

Brands like Chappi, Himalaya, Pedigree & Royal Canin use artificial preservatives, colourings or flavourings which can be harmful.

Quality Index

To compare the impact of the above four parameters and see where brands fall overall in terms of quality,
a rank was given to each product for every criteria they met to calculate the Quality Index.

For each product, the impact of the above four parameters and the Quality Index is represented using the following glyph.